


The Detention Club

by Gwydion_Night



Category: Original Work, The Breakfast Club (1985)
Genre: Canon Gay Character, M/M, Original Character(s), Original Male Character(s) - Freeform, Some mention of violence and underage sexuality, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 09:13:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1260946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwydion_Night/pseuds/Gwydion_Night
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short little thing heavily inspired by The Breakfast Club, using assorted characters from several of my other original stories. I always wanted to write my own little homage to it, so here it is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Detention Club

Five students came to Terra Nova that morning. Four were driven, one walked. It was eight AM on a Saturday morning, and detention was in session.

"Delyn...you are sooo going to owe me." In the passenger seat of a faded blue-grey Toyota a young man with short pale blond hair and a long ponytail yawned through his grumbling. The Toyota pulled up to the curb of the school. Its driver, a girl around the same age, her white-streaked black hair pulled up in a chopsticked bun, set the car in park and turned to him.

"Yeah, yeah, so you've said eighteen million times. Now remember, somehow get Kephri to realize Nyian likes him. This is too good a chance to pass up, and Kephri needs him." She told him seriously.

He gave her a suffering look. "You know, you're incredibly nosy."

"Comes with the territory of Office Wench. I know all." Delyn poked him several times. "Get your butt out there Salem."

He shot her a look, then opened the car door and climbed out. Saturday detention was supposedly in the library, so maybe he could just spend the day reading while watching the other four and what they might get into. Delyn had dropped him off in the teacher's lot so he just had a short walk around the backside of the building. At the library doors was one of the teachers, Mr. Vernon; and a sullen, ragged kid with shaggy white hair. Only one guy at school had that hair color, Kephri Tamano the school outcast. If Salem remembered correctly, Kephri was a regular at detention. He even showed up sometimes when he hadn't done anything. The guy was supposedly pretty odd; avoided everyone but always got top grades, didn't speak to teachers outside of class, and then there was the stuffed seal incident. No one could forget that. Kephri was one half of Delyn's current matchmaking obsession and why Nyian liked him was one hell of a mystery. They were completely different.

Kephri was leaning against the wall of the library, resolutely staring at the pavement.

The others came trickling in after his arrival. Joshua Whiteowl, a wrestling athlete who never answered to his last name. He always insisted it was Iscariot instead, but as he had snagged a regional win early this year, no one cared. Nyian Keene came next, sulkily trudging down the hall from the front of the school. His father owned a huge electronics company and as he was the youngest he was a little spoiled. His older brother was known to obsessively protect him as well. The moment he looked up from his dragging feet and spied Kephri his eyes widened. A vague blush rose up on his face just before he forcibly looked away and seemed to pretend nothing had happened.

The teacher looked around, scanning for other students and then frowned before speaking up. "As soon as Mr. Kiin manages to show up I'll pass out bags and gloves if you want them. You'll spend the morning picking up trash around the school."

"Aw _man_..." Nyian complained loudly.

Out of a bathroom off the end of the nearest wing, came a slight Asian boy with long brown hair braided up behind him. One long bang was sprayed purple with a temporary dye. He was dressed in low slung back cargoes with purple stitching and a small purple t-shirt that rode up whenever he breathed. The silvery writing on it said "Take me home I'll be VERY good." A black messenger bag cluttered with writing, pins and patches kept slipping down his shoulder. This was the notorious flirt, Bliss Kiin.

"Sorry I'm late, had to go." He grinned cheerfully. "What are we doing this time?"

"Now that Mr. Kiin has managed to make his appearance," the teacher gave him a pointed look, "we can get started." Behind him were two boxes, one for trash bags, and the other plastic gloves. He handed them out one by one. "We'll begin with the athletic field, fill at least one bag or you'll be back next time."

Bliss made a face at the plastic gloves. "These are going to make my hands all icky."

"Don't wear them then," Salem told him, pulling them on.

"Does he usually?" Nyian teased, doing so as well.

"Hey! I'll have you know I've only slept with one person!" Bliss protested, flushing slightly.

"Over and over and over..." Nyian continued, grinning as they were led away. The teacher distanced himself from their conversation with distaste.

"Only twice! And that was last summer!" Bliss gave Nyian a calculating look. "Like you, the virginal prince can say anything about it."

Now it was Nyian's turn to flush. "I'm not a prince!"

"Ah, but you are virginal then! Sitting up there on your pedestal waiting for someone to break through your crazy older brother to get to you!"

"I never asked Mani to do that," Nyian grumbled with a pout. "He's always in the way."

"Brother complex." Bliss nodded. "I don't have one, they gave up after me."

"Want mine?"

"Looks like they're getting along," Salem commented, looking over at Joshua. He seemed the one of the remaining two who would respond. Kephri was ahead, ignoring them all and shuffling his feet.

"Damn noisy if you ask me," Joshua grumbled, "And Bliss is a nosy little bastard."

"I heard that!" Bliss whirled around to glare at Joshua. A loud whistle cut off any further retort.

"Talk and clean at the same time." The teacher instructed them, gesturing at the bushes and the ground.

Other than Kephri who stayed away, the rest of them stuck together, picking up trash near the tennis courts. Bliss wanted more information from Nyian, Salem was listening in, and Joshua just followed along, though he would gripe at odd moments. "So come on, spill it. Which do you like, or is it both?" Bliss asked eagerly as he swiped a wrapper off the blacktop.

"Which?" Nyian blinked innocently.

"You know what I mean...guys, girls, both? Just don't say sheep or I'll really be disturbed." He dropped a popsicle stick into his bag.

"Ewwww!"

Joshua crumpled up a discarded flyer and threw it at Bliss' head. "Do you ever listen to the shit that comes outta your mouth?"

"Only sometimes." Bliss shot back. "Like there's any sheep in this town anyways."

"Never know what people keep in their garages." Salem added offhand, which earned him a look from Bliss. Nyian was still recovering from being horrified.

"C'mon Nyian I swear I won't tell anyone." Bliss turned on the other two in their group. "And you guys better not say anything either, or you'll regret it."

Joshua rolled his eyes, picking up an empty soda bottle. "What are you going to do, grope me in the locker room?"

"I'm serious!"

"Mr. Kiin! Do you need a second detention?!" The teacher called out from a distance away.

Bliss pouted, crouching down to pick a mass of cigarette butts out of a patch of grass. "Haven't deserved it yet," he muttered to himself.

"I don't know."

"What?" He looked up; ready to start another argument, but Nyian wasn't looking at him. Embarrassed, Nyian was scraping gum off the ground with a stick.

"I don't know what kind of people I like. I've thought about it, but haven't had the chance to decide." Nyian involuntarily glanced over at Kephri, who was picking stuff out of the bushes against the fence, then back down as the gum came free.

Salem raised an eyebrow. Maybe Delyn wasn't being such a fangirl after all. "Don't worry about it Nyian, I don't really know either. I figure it'll come when it does, but what do you think Kephri is?"

Bliss' eyes lit up. "Ooh, good idea. I'll go ask." He bounded off, dragging his trash bag alongside.

"That was conveniently timed." Joshua murmured softly, giving Salem a curious glance, who shrugged blandly.

Kephri ignored the first couple of attempts by Bliss, and snapped at him the third time. To avoid both Kephri and the teacher's ire (he was giving that look again), he came back disappointed. "He said he doesn't have one and then he told me to fuck off."

Maybe not surprisingly, Nyian was also disappointed by this answer. "Oh. Well, maybe he hasn't found the right one yet."

“Can’t really blame him,” Salem said thoughtfully, “look at all the rumors out there about him. I wouldn’t care much for anyone who gossiped about me.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it, I’m just curious.” Bliss protested. “Besides, some things he did do. I saw the plushie thing.”

“He had a reason, I’m sure of it.” Nyian said, watching Kephri extricate himself from the bushes. “He’s not a bad guy, there’s just something else going on that we don’t know. People are just assuming stuff about him without even asking.”

Looking from Nyian to Kephri and back again something dawned on Bliss. “You _like_ him,” he said, surprised.

“What?!” Nyian whirled around, flushed in his embarrassed shock. “No! Of course not!”

“Ha! Admit it! The prince has the hots for the school outcast! You liiike him, you waaant him…” Bliss singsonged, bouncing from one foot to the other.

Joshua sighed. “Here we go again.”

“You four! If you’re finished there move on!”

Clouds loomed threateningly as the clean up neared the gym. The skies rumbled and the air filled with the dusty smell of rain. Not wanting to face five soaked teenagers as much as he didn’t want to get wet himself, the teacher gathered them over, ending the cleanup for now. One of the gym’s back doors was opened and they walked through. When they came out on the other side it was raining.

“Until the rain ends, you’ll spend the rest of your time in the library.” Mr. Vernon said, and they were led off under the covered walkways.

“Ooh, I love rain,” Bliss said appreciatively.

“I don’t know…it’s awfully lonely and it gets my stuff all wet.” Nyian added, hugging the wall to avoid the little splashes coming from the edge of the polished concrete.

“That’s the point! You get all soaked and helpless and then they can’t resist you.” He gave a wicked little grin. “Plus then you have to remove the wet clothes and you know what that means.”

Joshua snorted. “Does everything with you have to be about sex?”

“No, but it helps.”

Nyian turned away from the conversation to watch Kephri trudge ahead of them, on the very edge of the walkway. He was nearly in the rain. Salem took this moment to step in beside him. “Go talk to him,” he suggested, nodding towards Kephri.

“I can’t,” Nyian shook his head. “He’s not going to want to talk to me.”

“If you’re nice about it, he might. It’s hard to hate kindness. Besides, how do you know if you don’t try?”

“Who are you anyways? You seem too nice to get Saturday detention.”

Salem shrugged. “Nobody. Salem Kailen, junior. Go talk to him, before we get dragged inside and he can hide somewhere.”

Nyian stared at Kephri’s back, considering. Gathering his courage he gave Salem a thankful nod, then caught up to the ragged older boy. “Umm…hi. Kephri, right? I’m—“

“I know who you are.”

“Well yeah, I guess most people do.” Nyian tried not to be hurt by the response, or how he was being ignored. “But they don’t really do, you know? They just assume from my family and my brother what I should be like. Maybe sometimes I go along with it, but it’s not me, and I don’t think it’s you either. I’m not sure who you are, but you're not crazy or a criminal. And…well I’d like to know.”

Kephri slowed his pace to examine Nyian suspiciously, who merely smiled and tried to look as honest as possible. He was about to open his mouth when—

“Mr. Kiin! Get out of the rain; I will not have you dripping all over the library!”

Bliss’ spinning around in the rain distracted Nyian’s attention and Kephri clamped back down. For the first time that day Salem wanted to smack the crazy freshman. Joshua must have felt the same, as he stomped out and dragged Bliss roughly back under the walkway.

“Idiot,” he told him, “You’ll just make things harder on us.”

“Thank you Mr. Whiteowl.” That earned the teacher a heated glare, which was ignored. He opened the door to the library and ushered them all inside. “Space yourselves out, two to a table. If you brought something to work on, do it, otherwise I’ll give you an assignment.”

Salem and Joshua were the first to sit down, at separate tables while the teacher went behind the checkout counter for paper and pencils. Bliss tried to get Nyian to sit with him, but he shook his head, looking over at Kephri who ignored him. So Bliss sat next to Joshua instead.

“Why aren’t you sitting down?” Kephri grumbled at him.

“But I want to sit with you and you’ll go somewhere else if I sit first.” Nyian replied reasonably.

Kephri gave him another suspicious look, then to teacher who was returning before giving up with a loud grumble and taking the farthest seat at the table behind Joshua. Nyian instantly sat down at the same table.

“You will write at least two pages on what you did and why it is inappropriate for school behavior. It will not be graded, but I expect to see it done before the end of the day.” Mr. Vernon handed out supplies to each kid. “You may find a book to read when you are done. No fooling around though, I’ll be watching.” Instructions finished, he retreated to the library office, which had a large picture window facing in their direction.

Bliss waited until the teacher had disappeared fully into the office before turning around. He left a folded note on the table before Nyian, as he shifted the chair sideways to keep an eye on the office as well as talk. An open textbook lay near the elbow he rested on his own table. “Read it,” he urged.

Shooting the office a glance as well, Nyian picked up the note. _*So you like him huh? What kind of things you like about him?*_ it said.

“Well?” Bliss grinned, propping his head up a hand.

Nyian glanced really quickly at Kephri who was writing his paper, then nodded, flushing slightly. “I don’t know what though, just do,” he said softly.

Gesturing to the note Bliss took it back and wrote something else on it. _*He is kinda cute though, in a rough, bad boy kinda way. You think he really ate a baby chick?*_

Nyian raised an eyebrow at the note, then wrote back _*Did you really screw the entire tennis team?*_

_*Not at once, no…*_

_*Seriously?*_

_*Nah, it was the golf team.*_

_*We have a golf team?*_

_*I dunno, do we?*_

_*Do you ever tell the truth?*_

_*Sometimes, maybe…when it amuses me.*_

_*Says the guy who wanted me to talk to Kephri.*_

Bliss read it and gave Nyian an odd look. “I didn’t say that.”

“Oh yeah, it was Salem.” Both of them turned to stare at him. Salem was very slowly trying to write his essay. It wasn’t easy when he had to make up a reason to be in detention in the first place. Feeling two pairs of eyes on him he looked up and suddenly wished he hadn’t. He hated being in the spotlight.

“Um, yes?”

“Why did you want Nyian to talk to Kephri?” Bliss asked curiously. After a quick check on the office window he turned around to straddle the chair.

Salem shrugged awkwardly. “He wanted to? I just encouraged him.”

“So no alternate motives?”

“Why, what are yours?”

“I like seeing people get some.” Bliss gave Nyian a mischievous glance. “And both of these two definitely need it. Nyian is waaay too pure here. I bet he’s never even been kissed.”

“Bliss!” Nyian protested, blushing again. He seemed to have a never ending supply to suddenly send to his face.

“Maybe they’re both like that. Doesn’t mean you should be setting them up,” Salem replied, noticing that Kephri had stopped writing and sat there, tensely staring at his table.

“Well maybe if he got some he wouldn’t be angry all the time. Or maybe at least shower more.”

“Don’t say that, that’s mean!” Nyian exclaimed in protest, which was nearly drowned out by Kephri slamming his fists down on the table. The loud bang brought them all back to attention. Salem and Nyian dropped their eyes to their papers, and Bliss jerked back around in his seat to look as if he had been reading. Footsteps understandably came out of the office a moment later, and Bliss felt it was just his luck they stopped in front of the gay troublemaker. “Explain yourself,” the teacher ordered.

“He fell out of his chair, sir.” Salem spoke up instead. “He was leaning back too far and hit the other table.”

Partly behind the teacher’s view, Joshua reached back and eased Nyian’s side of the table back an inch or two.

“Is this true Mr. Kiin?” The teacher asked him suspiciously.

“Um yeah, sorry…” Bliss replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “The jolt really surprised me.”

Mr. Vernon sighed in annoyance. “Read your textbook with all four legs firmly on the floor.” With a last searching look at the rest of them, he returned back to the office.

Joshua immediately turned to Bliss the moment it was safe. “We only didn’t want anymore trouble, that’s all.” He stated bluntly.

“God, I’m sorry…sheesh.” Bliss sulked, slumping down in his chair with his arms crossed. He aimlessly flipped a couple pages in his book. “It was only a joke.”

“I know…but it wasn’t funny at all…” Nyian told him.

Kephri suddenly pushed away from the table, standing up. His fists were clenched so tight they were shaking, and he continued to glare heatedly at the table. “Stop it. Don’t act like any of you give a shit about me,” he growled.

“I’m sorry…I just was trying—“ Nyian began but was cut off as Kephri whipped his head up to turn that glare on him.

“Especially you! Talking about me like I’m not here. You said you were different but you’re just like everyone else! Stop fucking pitying me!” He hissed to not catch the teacher’s alarm a second time.

Crumpling, Nyian stared down at the table a long moment, sniffling. Finally he got up and fled into the stacks, tears streaming down his face.

“Well, that was really stupid,” Salem spoke up then. “That guy left the notes in your locker. Do you know what you just did?”

Anger drained away into shock as Kephri stared at him, stunned. “…what?”

“You heard me. He was defending you the whole time. And probably has since the beginning of the year. You’re supposed to be smart, figure it out.”

Kephri paused, opened his mouth as if to ask how he knew, and then changed his mind. Without a look back, he strode off after Nyian.

“Finally…” Salem muttered before going back to his paper. He pointedly ignored the inquiring looks he received from Bliss and Joshua.

It took some searching, but the freshman was found in one of the study rooms built into a back wall. He was curled up in a heavy squarish chair, crying.

"I'm sorry." Was the first thing out of Kephri’s mouth, even before he really knew what to say.

"You should be! Stupid jerk...I stuck up for you, and this is the thanks I get..." Nyian retorted, turning his head more into the upholstery to avoid the door.

"You sent me things..." It was hard to put all his thoughts into words. Kephri had spent so long avoiding people that when faced with the one person he wanted to speak to, the words didn’t come easy. He gripped the doorway harder in frustration.

Nyian froze.

"Why?" Kephri continued.

“Don’t matter, you don’t care. I’ll stop bugging you so you can go back to hating everyone and not giving them a chance.” He sniffed loudly. “You won’t see me again.”

"NO!" The vehemence of Kephri's response surprised both of them. It was a moment of utter panic that he had shouted on instinct alone, and stepped forward two steps. Nyian looked up from his chair, eyes wide. Realizing he was no longer in the doorway, he wrapped his arms tightly around himself, as if they could protect him. He took a moment to gather his courage then began again. "Please don't. The notes…you're the only reason I'm still here," he said quietly, his face a mix of confusion, desperation and awkwardness. "I hate coming here. I hate living in the home. I want to disappear, to go away and never come back. Be forgotten forever. I’ve wanted to die. No one would miss me. But those notes and gifts…they stopped me. Someone actually cared. Someone thought I was worth something. They said I was beautiful.” He gave a hollow laugh. “Now I only survive to see another appear. I can’t… I can’t go on without them.”

All the blood had rushed to Nyian's face and at the rate he was going he'd die of blood loss to the rest of his body. "Um...it was the only thing I could think of to do that wasn't obvious. I wanted to help but was so afraid you’d hate me. I…I…” He stopped as his nerve ran away screaming and his mouth dried up, leaving him to stare humiliated at the table.

This was just enough to prod Kephri into coming closer. He unwound his arms, though still holding stiff in posture and slowly stepped over to Nyian. “I don't know what to do. No one's ever liked me." He said honestly, gripping the back of the chair nearest to him.

"No one?" The statement was distracting Nyian from the embarrassment of nearly confessing to a boy, so he clung to this train of thought. "But there has to be someone. Family, friends, anyone?"

Kephri just shook his head. "I don't belong to anyone. Mom died when I was little she was it. No one wants me." He pulled the chair out a little and sat on the edge with his arms crossed over himself again. "The people in the home don’t care about me. I’m just some freak they get paid to watch over for six more months. Only reason I'm telling you this is because you sent me those things. You told me that you thought I was beautiful, but I’m not. I’m a freakish accident, to be avoided and stared at. Abnormal and contagious."

A tiny breathy gasp escaped Nyian's parted lips, emerald eyes impossibly wide. His heart thumped wildly in his chest; he almost expected it to escape, or for Kephri to hear it hammering away. A decision was made in an instant within his mind. Swallowing slowly, and biting his lip in his awkwardness Nyian reached out and gently pried one of Kephri's arms away, taking his hand. "I'll take you." Nyian said earnestly, "You can belong to me."

The wild stab of hope that crossed Kephri's features went unheeded as Nyian carefully unfolded himself from the chair, scooting it closer. Balancing across the arm, he regarded the older boy with a shy smile before pressing his lips against Kephri's. It was more just a mashing of lips with Kephri unable to react, and Nyian off center, but both would look back upon it as the sweetest kiss ever.

"Kephri, you can't kiss..." Nyian laughed as he pulled away.

“You surprised me that’s all. I wasn’t ready,” he protested, reddening.

“Okay then, you can kiss me. I’ll even close my eyes.” Nyian did so, waiting.

Kephri gulped. This was a dream come true, and he’d probably pinch himself if he wasn’t too scared to move. His secret admirer was real, a flesh and blood person who honestly liked him. No tricks, no games. It was almost too much to believe, but he was here, he was real, and he was waiting to be kissed. Kephri swallowed again, and licked his lips. He could do this. Just had to remember how people did it in the books he read. He leaned forward, bumped his knees into Nyian’s, froze a moment, before gently cradling the freshman’s face between his hands to lean in and kiss him.

The dazed expression on Nyian’s flushed face seemed to signal that he did alright after all. “Wow…okay so I take that back…”

“Not that good,” Kephri protested humbly, though he was obviously pleased with the reaction. “I could do better.”

“Oh?” Nyian blinked away the last of the daze. He threaded his knees between Kephri’s outstretched ones to move in the last bit of distance, before smiling shyly. “Well, practice does help…”

Kephri didn’t need to be told twice. Smiling back, he was quick to kiss Nyian again. Nyian gave up sitting in his own chair and climbed into Kephri’s lap, settling his legs over one arm. "I have to admit something." Nyian said then cuddling against him, "I don't mean to offend or anything, but when we get home I'm throwing you in the shower."

Kephri blinked. "When we get home?"

Nyian leaned back a bit to look him in the face. “You’re not doing anything, right? Then you can come home with me for dinner. That way I can hold on to you for a little longer.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hope Nyian's okay." Bliss sighed worriedly, as he fidgeted with a page in his book.

"Probably, now that you're out of the way," Joshua muttered.

"I said I was sorry!"

"To me, yes. But you haven't offended me yet."

"Well, they're not here so I _can_ apologize, so there!"

They had been at it for the last fifteen minutes like that. Having finally finished his paper, a literary masterpiece of apologizing for fake hijinks, Salem had become bored and couldn't block them out any longer. Why Bliss needed Joshua's approval was beyond him. He couldn't imagine they had that much contact before, unless passing each other in the locker room after school (Bliss' shower stall exploits _were_ pretty famous) counted. Was it just because Nyian wasn't here to listen? Could he be that desperate for attention?

"Bliss, why does it matter if Joshua likes you or not? You won't talk to him much, if at all on Monday." Salem finally asked after watching him sneak glances at Joshua some more.

"I might," he protested, "I have long before we ended up here."

"Uh huh."

"I did! How come no one believes me when I need them to?"

"Because you're a liar." Joshua replied, putting his paper aside. "You tell people wild stories, or let them make up rumors until no one knows who you really are. So why don't you tell me, Bliss, who exactly are you?"

He was stunned, but visibly shuttered up his expression moments later, crafting a blank, innocent look. "But I'm no one interesting, honestly. There's nothing special about me to talk about." Having lost all interest in the conversation Bliss returned to reading his textbook, but Joshua was not so easily brushed off.

"Says the one you can drag into the showers any time for a little fun. Or so the rumors say, and those were enough to get you in trouble with that gang of idiots. Between those and what you've said now, it's like you're two different people. If you don't want our attention, why the hell do you keep asking for it?"

Bliss kept quiet, still firmly staring down at the book.

"Don't tell me all of a sudden you've become a shitty liar. I can see right through you. Or do you _like_ being referred to as a human blow up doll?" Joshua pressed on, leaning forward as Bliss flinched. The tables had turned and Joshua was determined to get some type of reaction. "Do you think you're that worthless? You even care at all what happens to you?"

That snapped something. Bliss pushed back his chair roughly to jump up and tower over the athletic senior. "No! I don't! You happy now?! Why the fuck did you save me anyways?! You could have left me there! I probably deserved it!" he hissed wildly, waving his arms.

"What you deserve is a lot better than that." Joshua shot back bluntly, unfazed. "And if you were smart, you'd know that you don't have to whore yourself out to be noticed. You're pretty damn hard to forget, and I've tried."

Salem raised an eyebrow as he watched the quiet argument, eyes shifting towards the office window every so often just to check that they weren't noticed. Joshua's latest pronouncement had taken all the wind out of Bliss' sails.

"...you've noticed?" Defeated, he dropped his hands back to his sides, slumping.

Joshua rolled his eyes before reaching out to flick at Bliss' long purple bang. "Kinda hard, idiot. Not too many guys like you out there."

"I was kinda hoping I was the only one..." he mumbled and returned to his seat, doubling over to brush his fingertips against the stiff carpet. ”Did I thank you for before? You're here 'cause I'm dumb..."

“Maybe, but I’d still have done it.” Joshua leaned forward to tilt Bliss’ chin up to where he could look him in the eyes. “Hey, I meant it when I said you deserved better.”

He cast his eyes downward to avoid an urge to blush. “I don’t know about that, but…you going to keep me on track? I might need help.”

“I think I can be tempted to agree.” He couldn’t see it, but Salem watched as Joshua gave a tiny amused smile, just for a moment.

Bliss took hold of the hand that held up his chin, examining it a moment before looking up at Joshua and smiling softly. “Well, I _can_ be good at tempting…”

Two couples without much effort needed. Delyn had better be satisfied with this and leave him alone to do her own matchmaking. Pushing his essay aside, Salem got up to look for something to read in the shelves. He wasn’t going to be needed anymore. When he had returned, a fantasy novel only once read before in his hands, Nyian and Kephri had returned, appearing far too happy for their own good. Nyian was practically vibrating with excited energy, rivaling Bliss’ more manic moments, and even Kephri was looking far more cheerful. Still very quiet, but he radiated a sense of contentedness as he watched Nyian chatter with Bliss, hopeful dedication lighting up his eyes.

“Salem!” Nyian waved cheerfully. “Come talk to Kephri. I have to prove to him that other people aren’t scary.”

“I don’t think that…” Kephri protested softly.

“But you always avoid people. If you talk to them maybe you’ll find out they’re not so bad after all. And they’ll know you’re cool too.” Nyian squeezed his hand. “I don’t want you to be lonely.”

Salem put his book down at his table. “By speaking up, you’re likely to dispel all those rumors about you. Keeping quiet just leaves people to make things up to get their answers.”

“Maybe…” Kephri replied hesitantly. “I don’t know where they get it. I was born like this; I can’t change what I look like or where I came from. I should really just be ignored.”

“But I don’t want you ignored. I want people to see that you’re perfectly normal and they shouldn’t talk about you.” Nyian told him. “I’ll sic my brother on them for you if I have to.”

“No.” Kephri shook his head. “I don’t need that.”

“I can kinda understand where he’s coming from… people _can_ be scary…” Bliss spoke up thoughtfully. He was once again straddling his chair, resting his arms across the back of it. “Especially when they try to make you into what they think you are. We can go along with it, and lose ourselves; or resist and try to be only what we want to be. Kephri, you’re only an outcast and I’m only a slut because we let them say we are.”

Kephri gave Bliss a curious look before replying, “I think that’s the first honest thing you’ve said all day.” Nyian held back a snicker at that.

“He has his moments, far and few between they are.” Joshua agreed, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

“Joshua…” Bliss whined, “you’re supposed to be on my side…”

“I never said I’d watch your ego.”

Nyian suddenly sat up straighter in his chair. “Oh! Bliss, you should sit with me at lunch tomorrow!”

“Are you sure? Your friends might not like me…” Bliss stopped pouting to reply worriedly.

“Who cares? They’re mostly Innana’s friends and a bunch of people who just want to suck up to our family. Scare them away for me. Besides,” his face took on a wicked grin, “Kephri will be there too. Think of the shock _that’ll_ cause.”

“I will?” Kephri echoed, concerned.

A light must have gone on in Bliss’ mind, for he reflected Nyian’s grin back to him with glee. “Oh _hell_ yes.”

“It’s started you know,” Joshua said to Kephri in almost pity. “Now he’ll never be the same.”

He nodded, commiserating. “Yeah maybe, but I think you still have the worst of it.”

Joshua glanced at Bliss. “Probably. But I’m not complaining.”

The rain didn't let up the rest of the day. When they were finally let out from detention it had slowed to a drizzle, but still kept coming. The five of them walked together towards the front of the school, Bliss and Nyian in front planning their evil scheme of shocking the population tomorrow with their friendship, Joshua and Kephri behind tolerating it and Salem behind them all observing the change since this morning. They had been strangers this morning, knowing only of each other's reputations and rumors, and now were tightly bound together as friends and love interests. A little prodding and being stuck together for a day was all that was needed to pair them up. Maybe it would have happened anyways, maybe it wouldn't have. For all Salem knew, Delyn's prodding of him to come here was supposed to happen, to help these four out. They probably wouldn't remember him after a few days, or he would just be remembered as the other person in the room, the day they all got together. It was probably better the little effort and prodding he had provided wasn't recalled, he wanted to fade into the background. Then he wouldn't have to explain how it all started, how the boy who never got detention ended up there one Saturday morning.

"Remember, meet me outside E block tomorrow morning," Nyian was reminding Bliss as they stood under the wide overhang at the front of the school, clustered together to avoid the rain. "And we should sit together during history class."

"I'll be there." Bliss assured him, tugging his cargoes up a bit higher. "They're gonna think I've seduced you away or something," he laughed.

Nyian shot Kephri a concerned look, just to make sure he didn't mind. "Well...they can think lots of things but only one person is allowed to um...seduce me." He flushed a little and gave Kephri another sidelong glance.

"And I'm sure he will soon enough." Bliss grinned at the two of them. "Just...you better let me know how good it was when you do. Don't worry, I don't need details."

The flush grew stronger. "Bliss!" Nyian squeaked.

"You might as well get used to flushing, as he's not likely to ever stop teasing you." Joshua advised.

"Well, then I'll just find some way to get him back." Nyian calmed himself down as he turned to Salem. "And I wanted to thank you. You were right, all I had to do was ask."

With all eyes on him once more Salem inwardly squirmed. Attention was better given to those who had deserved it, and he still hadn't done very much. "Um, you're welcome;" he replied awkwardly, "don't mention it."

A black Subaru sedan pulled into the semi-circular pickup zone across the front of the school. Nyian, recognizing it as his brother's car, grabbed Kephri's hand and dragged him out towards it, waving goodbye to Bliss. Salem moved closer to the edge of the overhang to hear the conversation Nyian was having with his brother through the open passenger door.

"Yes, I won't do it again. Really!" Nyian was saying, "I'll even swear it if I have to. But I really need you to take both of us home. This is Kephri Tamano, and I'm inviting him home for dinner. He's...important to me."

His brother agreed, but by the look on his face through the windshield it was grudgingly. Nyian bounced as he thanked him profusely and ushered Kephri first into the backseat. The former school outcast seemed rather perplexed at his new fortune, and it would probably continue for awhile, especially when the rest of the school found out about his new friendship with the Keene family.

"Tomorrow is going to be sooo cool." Bliss said out loud as they watched the Subaru pull away. "We're going to raise hell."

"Just don't drag him into your gutter." Joshua commented, crossing his arms. "His brother will probably kill you if he turns into you, and I'm not going to protect you from that."

"Nah, Kephri wouldn't like that. I'll have to keep him mostly innocent until Kephri manages to deflower him." Bliss shivered briefly from the cold, but ignored it to give Joshua a teasing smile. "So what will you protect me from?"

"The assholes at this school, mostly. We'll see." Joshua took off his jacket and swung it around Bliss' shoulders. "Someone coming to get you soon?"

Gratefully Bliss wrapped the coat around himself. It was overly large on him and draped past his thighs. "Nope! I figured I'd wait around for the rain to stop before walking back home. I don't want to be there any longer than I have to."

"And so you can change out of that without anyone seeing you?" Joshua added, giving Bliss' clothing a pointed look, to which the freshman actually flushed slightly.

"...maybe."

"C'mon then. I'll drive you home when its time." Joshua turned and nodded to Salem once, then walked off towards an old pickup truck, swinging keys produced from a pocket around his finger. Bliss gave a small, pleased smile before hurrying after.

"I should have you do this more often."

Salem turned to see Delyn waiting behind him, looking rather pleased.

"Don't even think about it." he frowned at her. "I am not spending every Saturday making up detention stories."

"Not every Saturday, no," she smiled. "But think about how happy they are now. I didn't even realize there might have been something between Bliss and Joshua, though now it makes sense with how they got detention."

Salem walked towards her, and they headed back down the front hall towards the teacher lot. "How did they get detention?" he asked after a while.

She raised an eyebrow in mock-surprise. "Oh, so you want to know now? Bliss was caught fooling around in the locker room with some guy from the football team. He got regular detention for that, to be served the next day. But the next day there was an altercation in the locker room, between Joshua and a couple of guys from the football team again. He started the fight, and beat them up far better than they got him. But what wasn't mentioned in the report was that Bliss was there too. Rumor has it that the football jocks had ganged up on Bliss and were going to pass him around until Joshua put a stop to it. Joshua got his Saturday from the fight, and Bliss' was upgraded I'd imagine just from being there. What's interesting is that while Joshua has stepped in to stop hazing before, this was the first time he actually started a fight."

"So you think he beat them just because it was Bliss."

"By the looks of everything it's possible." Delyn stopped by her car, opening the driver door. "Bliss is the same age as Joshua's sister Kyrie, who he's also fiercely protective of. Maybe that helps."

Salem opened the other door and slipped inside. "Or you're grasping for straws."

She shrugged. "Maybe. But now that you've seen my prowess in matchmaking..." this earned her a snort from Salem which she loftily ignored, "when are you going to find someone, hmm?"

"When it happens and without your help." He replied bluntly. "Don't even think about it."

"Aww..."

He remained firm on this point as she put the car into gear and backed up to head off from the school. Eventually she'd give up on trying, complaining about how cold and mean he was, and how he'd never find someone that way. Maybe she was right, but it didn't really matter to him. If he was meant to have a relationship, then it would happen to him sooner or later. After all, it had happened to four strangers in detention.

**Author's Note:**

> Just in case anyone cares to know where the characters came from:
> 
> Nyian Keene and Kephri Tamano from YinYang. De-aged because they are 21 and 26 respectively.
> 
> Bliss Kiin and Joshua Whiteowl (Iscariot) from Fairytales Don't Exist. De-aged, 17 and 24 respectively.
> 
> Salem is from the abandoned One Chance, and Delyn has only appeared in RPs. Both adjusted to fit a high school setting. If anyone is interested in the original stories I'm in desperate need of beta readers. ^^ Otherwise thank you for giving this little exercise a chance. ^^


End file.
